Container trade at the Port of Melbourne eased in July 2026, with total container volumes declining by around 1.6% year on year, reflecting a modest slowdown in cargo activity at Australia’s largest container port. Port of Melbourne’s official monthly report covers trade associated with vessels departing between July 1 and July 31.
The port handled about 285,000 TEUs during the month, including full import and export containers, domestic Bass Strait cargo, coastal movements, transhipments and empty containers.
Overseas full imports remained the largest component of container traffic, while exports and domestic cargo accounted for a smaller share of overall throughput. The July trade mix continued to be led by commodities including furniture, fruit and vegetables, miscellaneous manufactured goods, electrical equipment and paper products.
The slight decline follows a strong performance earlier in the year. Port of Melbourne recorded 3.5 million TEUs in calendar 2025, its second consecutive annual container-volume record, demonstrating the resilience of Victoria’s trade flows despite global trade uncertainty.
Melbourne remains Australia’s largest container and general cargo port, handling more than 3 million TEUs annually and more than one-third of the country’s container trade.
The July figures suggest that container activity remains broadly resilient despite changes in global trade conditions, tariff uncertainty and geopolitical disruptions. Global container traffic also continued to grow during the first seven months of 2026, with worldwide volumes up 5.1% year on year, according to industry data.
The modest decline at Melbourne therefore represents a relatively limited setback against a broader backdrop of continued global container trade growth.